enough deductions and loopholes that only affect high income individuals to avoid either raising the deficit or burdening the middle class. it's math, it's arithmetic. >> get the rates down, lower deductions and exemptions to create more jobs because there's nothing better for getting us to a balanced budget to have more people working, earning more money and paying taxes and that's by far the most effective and efficient way to get this budget balanced. >> paul: welcome to the journal editorial report. i'm paul gigot. a big night in denver on wednesday, as president barack obama, and mitt romney met for the first presidential debate and the candidates sparred as you heard over taxes and the deficit as well as health care. wall street reform and the role of government. with mitt romney taking some sharp shots at the president's record these past four years. >> we're seeing right now is, in my view, a trickle down government approach which has government thinking it can do a better job than free people pursuing their dreams and that's not working the. proof of that is 23 million people out of